The initial legislative action was promptly approved by the House subsequent to the election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the Speaker, which occurred on the first ballot on Wednesday.
According to the Washington Examiner, the Republican-led chamber recently approved a bipartisan resolution expressing support for Israel by a significant margin of 412-10“seeking to denounce the violence and highlighting the United States’s dedication to defending a key ally.” The article further said that only a small number of Democrats on the far-left side of the political spectrum voiced objections.
“The four-page resolution was filed earlier this month, just days after Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on Oct. 7. Six members voted present: Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY),” according to the Examiner.
“Nine Democrats voted no: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Andre Carson (D-IN), Al Green (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). All are associated with or adjacent to the progressive ‘Squad,’” the outlet added.
According to the Examiner’s research, Omar and Tlaib have faced significant criticism for endorsing social media posts that echoed allegations made by Hamas over a fatal hospital strike in Gaza. Furthermore, they were then condemned for their delayed response in removing these posts.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, dissented from the resolution due to his objections to certain provisions. Specifically, he expressed disagreement with the inclusion of measures that would “an open-ended promise of military support that is so broad it could be interpreted to commit U.S. soldiers to the conflict.” These were among several points of contention for Rep. Massie.
I condemn the barbaric attack on Israel and I affirm Israel’s right to defend itself.
However, I will not be voting for House Resolution 771 today because:
1) It calls for sanctions on a sovereign country. Sanctions are a prelude to war and hurt the citizens of the country more…
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 25, 2023
The measure serves to reassert the United States’ commitment to Israel, “including through security assistance.” Furthermore, it expresses its endorsement of the Jewish state’s “right to self-defense,” which encompasses a commitment to furnish “emergency resupply” and other types of assistance subsequent to Israel’s declaration of hostilities against Hamas.
The statement urges neighboring nations to denounce the assault conducted by Hamas, while specifically emphasizing the need to condemn Iran for its “support for terrorist groups.”
“President Biden has committed the United States fully to Israel’s self-defense,” Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat Congressman who assisted with announcing the resolution said. “Israel is responding to the Hamas terror organization’s unprecedented attack. The bipartisan resolution will demonstrate this is one issue in which the House of Representatives is united, and I expect it to pass the House with broad bipartisan support.”
On Wednesday, Johnson assumed the position of speaker of the House, so concluding a period of uncertainty and unsuccessful nominations that ensued after the notable departure of Kevin McCarthy, a Republican representative from California.
The individual successfully garnered support from the GOP as their preferred choice, although there remains a considerable amount of tasks ahead, such as enacting legislation to ensure the continuity of government operations, subsequent to assuming the position of authority.
The conclusive count on the House floor resulted in a vote of 220 to 209 in support of Johnson, with no dissenting votes from Republican representatives. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a member of the Democratic Party representing New York’s congressional district, was unanimously supported by his caucus, securing 100 percent of the vote.
As per the report by Politico, “Johnson has the most votes in the House GOP’s latest attempt to nominate a speaker, though he’s still short of the majority he needs to become the conference nominee.”
According to the outlet, “Three candidates are now out of the running: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (Tenn.) and Rep. Roger Williams (Texas) were eliminated after receiving the fewest votes, while Rep. Marc Green dropped out after the second round.”
The outlet further stated that Republicans will persist in conducting secret ballot voting until a single candidate attains a simple majority.
According to the outlet’s report, individuals with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated in each round. The article also includes the breakdown of the most recent vote, which resulted in Johnson receiving the highest number of votes.
Earlier this month, actor Wallace Shawn made an appearance at a rally in Washington, DC on Monday, during which he strongly criticized Israel’s reaction to the violent terrorist acts carried out by Hamas. He expressed his own belief that he does not support the concept of revenge, characterizing the ongoing situation as an embodiment of this notion.
Shawn is widely recognized as an outspoken anti-Israel activist and holds a prominent position within the Jewish Voice for Peace, a left-wing anti-Zionist organization. This group attributes Hamas’ recent violent actions to what they perceive as “Israeli apartheid.”
The individual known for their role in The Princess Bride delivered a speech during a public demonstration on Monday. This particular protest was jointly arranged by Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, both of which are organizations that express opposition towards Israel.
Shawn expressed his belief that “It’s certainly one of the most deliberate cruelties inflicted on a group of people that I can remember that my own government has supported.”
“It’s one of the most deliberate cruelties inflicted on a ppl that I can remember that my own gov’t has supported. Even in Vietnam, they didn’t quite admit they were just slaughtering the innocent”
Actor Wallace Shawn with other Jews in DC protesting #GazaGenocide #IsraelGazaWar pic.twitter.com/X57aP70f4E
— #StopCopCity (@ChuckModi1) October 16, 2023
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